m," answered Russ.

"What cat?" the children's mother wanted to know.

"It was the red-haired lumberman's cat," Russ went on. "We went to his
cabin, over at Green Pond, where Mr. Barker lives. His name is Mike
Gannon--the tramp lumberman, I mean. Mr. Hurd told us about him, and we
went to see him and----"

"I forgot to ask him a riddle!" broke in Laddie.

"Never mind about riddles now, my dear," said Mother Bunker softly. "Let
us hear what Russ is saying."

"Did you really find a red-haired tramp lumberman?" asked Mr. Bunker.

"Yes," answered Russ. "And he had your ragged coat, but the papers weren't
in it, Daddy. And he was sorry and so were we and I'm hungry!"

"So'm I!" added Laddie, before the words were fairly out of his brother's
mouth. "I'm awful hungry!"

"But what does it all mean?" asked Mrs. Bunker. "Have you two boys really
been somewhere?"

"We found the red-haired tramp lumberman, I told you," said Russ, "but he
didn't have those papers."

"Let me hear all about it once again," begged Daddy Bunker. He seemed as
much excited as Russ and Laddie had been when they first saw Mr. Gannon.

"First let me get them something to eat," said Grandma Bell. "We had our
supper--an early one," she went on, "but I saved some for you boys. You
shall eat first, and then tell us your story."

"I guess Zip wants to eat, too," said Laddie. "He didn't catch the rabbit
and the cat scratched him."

"I'll have Jane give Zip a good supper," said Grandma Bell. "And there is
strawberry shortcake for you boys."

"Oh, goody!" cried Russ.

Laddie clapped his hands in joy.

And, taking turns, between bites, as it were, when they were eating
supper, Russ and Laddie told of having met Mr. Hurd, who had spoken of the
red-haired lumberman working at Mr. Barker's place.

"So we went there, and Zip chased his cat," explained Russ. "And we upset,
but he was nice and he showed us the ragged coat, only the pockets were
full of holes and there weren't any papers."

"Well, that's too bad!" said Daddy Bunker. "You two little boys were very
kind to do as much as you did, though."

"Do you suppose, by any chance, this tramp lumberman might know something
of your papers, Charles?" asked Grandma Bell.

"I'll go over and see him in the morning," said Mr. Bunker.

"May we go along?" asked Rose. "I'd like to see the cat that scratched
Zip."

"He won't scratch him again," Laddie said. "They're good friends now."

"I don't want to